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America’s
infrastructure is desperately in need of investment, according to the American
Society of Civil Engineers. It’s estimated the US needs to spend around $4.5
trillion by 2025 to fix the country’s roads, bridges, dams, airports, and other
infrastructure.

— American Society of Civil Engineers

The US is facing an uphill battle,
that desperately needs addressing, when it comes to our infrastructure
problems. From a report in 2017 by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the
US received a D+ grade on overall infrastructure. This report, which is
published every four years, took into account our roads, bridges, dams,
airports, schools, water systems, and more.

The ASCE also reports that to fix our
problems and get the US infrastructure issues solved, we would need to spend
$4.5 Trillion over the next 6 years. President Trump and his administration, in
2018, took the first steps of tackling this issue by proposing a $200 Billion Infrastructure
Plan that will finance new projects and incentivize private investment.

Our biggest immediate upgrade needs
are our roads, bridges, and airports. Below, we will take a closer look at each
area and the grade given to the area by ASCE.

Roads

America’s roads are in bad shape and
graded out with a D. One reason our roads are in such bad shape is due
to the $836 Billion in unmet capital needs that have been recognized by the US
Department of Transportation. This has led to 32% of urban and 14% of rural
roads crumbling.

Bridges

US bridges are aging. With 56,000 of our bridges structurally
deficient, they graded out with a C+. With a total of 614,387 bridges
across the country, more then a third are 50 years of age or older. The report
from the US Department of Transportation has estimated that it would cost $123
Billion to repair our bridge’s needs.

Airports

According to ASCE America’s airports
have been facing a funding gap of $42 Billion since 2016 and that gap will last
until 2025. This lack of funding and the desperate need of Airport upgrades we
graded out at a D. Research
has found that some two million people travel through US airports on a daily
basis and that once a week “Thanksgiving holiday travel” congestion levels
occur in 24 of our top 30 airports.

With the US infrastructure in dire need of repair and with the president’s infrastructure plan, we should see an influx in the need for construction materials and labor. This is where Vulcan Metal Stampings can help!

The global conveyor system market is expected to grow to around $9.98 billion (USD) by 2025, at a growth rate just north of 4%.

— Zion Market Research

According to a report the global conveyor system market was valued at an estimated $7.45 billion (USD) in 2018 and is expected to grow to around $9.98 billion (USD) by 2025, at a growth rate just north of 4%.

This growth will be due to high demand across many different industries from Airports and Shipping facilities to the Mining fields. With the need to cut down on material handling cost and the need to get from one place to another quickly, Overland Mine conveyors will be one of the biggest players in this anticipated growth.

These conveyors can quickly move bulk materials from the mine itself to the mining facility swiftly, safely, and efficiently by going over terrain that may not be suitable for roads. Due to these conveyors allowing materials to move from the mine to the facility taking the path of least resistance, a significant amount of time is reduced during the production process. Saving these mining companies time and money by reducing transportation costs and errors.

The United States alone is expected to be a significant player in this growth with mining facilities from the East Coast to the West Coast as mining efforts continue to track toward 2008 numbers.

This is where we come in, as a full-service Stamping facility. Vulcan Metal Stampings, located in south Alabama, is manufacturing conveyor parts for some of the biggest names in the belt conveyor mining industry. As we expand our catalog and work toward expanding our reach, in this growing industry by committing ourselves to exceptional customer service and outstanding craftsmanship, we would love to bring your company along for the ride!

(Original article by GLOBE NEWSWIRE, and research by Zion Market Research)

We are going to stop regulations that threaten the future and livelihood of our great coal miners.
– President Donald Trump

In his first address to Congress, President Trump relayed the message that many Americans were excited to hear. After US coal production peaked in 2008 at 1,172 Million Short Tons (MMst), recent years have seen a steady decline to US coal production, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA expects total 2017 US coal production to be 773 MMst, 45 MMst higher than in 2016 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2001.

With previous administrations tightening regulations on coal mining and weak export numbers, many companies were forced to close their doors, leaving many workers without a job. Shutdowns not only affected coal mining companies, but also manufacturing that supported this industry. Vulcan Metal Stampings, a division of Vulcan, Inc., continues to supply conveyor brackets to conveyor structure manufacturers, but saw a large customer shut its doors due to these conditions.

In 2017, the US exported 97 MMst of coal, a 61% increase from the 2016 level. India, South Korea, and Japan are among the top recipients of US coal exports with Europe leading the pack.

While domestic consumption of coal is expected to remain flat, increases in coal consumption are expected to be driven by export demands in countries such as China and India, according to EIA. Internationally, the coal mining industry produces roughly 9,000 MMst of coal annually. The US ranks in the top four largest coal-producing nations, and its network of about 1,200 coal mining companies produces a combined annual revenue of about $26 billion.

Located in south Alabama, Vulcan Metal Stampings is within a two-day freight range of the coal-rich fields of Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Our employees are our driving force, and as an employee owned ESOP company, they take great pride in their work to better the company. Our diverse network of customers includes many other industries in addition to conveyor bracket market: we also service the lawn and garden, heavy truck, automotive aluminum products, and many more.

Let Vulcan Metal Stampings help you make the transition to a domestic source for your conveyor bracket needs and help you keep your products Made in America.